Hudson River Kendo was started over a decade ago by Garrett Huehner, 6th Dan, with the intention of spreading the art of Kendo. Hudson River Kendo conducts classes at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. To encourage the growth of kendo, we welcome all prospective students age ten and older to join. To learn more about the diversity of Hudson River Kendo, visit our Member Section.

In addition to being the founder and head instructor of Hudson River Kendo, Huehner Sensei, also, has been teaching kendo at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, for nearly twenty years.

What is Kendo?

Kendo is the art of Japanese fencing. "Ken" means sword. The character "Do" includes the meaning way or path. These combined characters translate as "The way of the sword." It is the path in life which one follows through training in swordsmanship.

The discipline of kendo is primarily for the cultivation of oneself and society. The training of the mind and spirit is accomplished by the study of kata or "pre-arranged techniques", as well as the preparation through meditation. Improvement in the body and mind comes from the practice of breath, observation, form, footwork, techniques, and sparring. The conditioning of kendo ensures that mind, body, and spirit are developed as one to produce a student that has a strong character, to compete, and the confidence to face the challenges of everyday life. Further information about kendo and its history can be found at the All United States Kendo Federation website.

Becoming a Student

We encourage visitors to our website to view our kendo practice photos and tournament photos in our Photos section and welcome prospective students to join us during one of our practice sessions on Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm and on Saturday mornings from 10am - 12pm. For location information, please visit our Locations section If you need directions to our dojo, please visit our Contact Us section, and send us an email.